So, you’re pregnant, running to the toilet to throw up every few hours and have a million dietary questions, but don’t know who to ask as you’re not ready to announce your pregnancy yet?  Well, you’ve come to the right place!  This blog looks at how your dietary requirements change throughout your third month of pregnancy.

Your body:

The size of a plum, your baby is developing rapidly. In addition to extreme fatigue, food cravings and morning sickness, you will probably experience sore breasts and ligament pain. Be strong – the worst is nearly over. At this point what you need more than anything is to talk to someone who knows how you feel. A caring ear can be ‘soup for the soul’ when you’re tired, nauseous and sore. You may feel like you’re the first woman to ever feel this way, but your not, so pick up the phone.

Nutrition:

One of the most common cravings for women during pregnancy is salty food. This is caused by fluid retention and nausea. If you’re craving salt, try to choose salty foods that aren’t high in fat. Instead of potato chips or takeaway food, try a yeast spread on toast, dry biscuits, salted nuts or tinned tomato soup (now you know why tomato soup is such a common food that women crave).

Remember that eating small, regular meals will help to minimise nausea and optimise your energy levels. Try to have a healthy meal or snack every three to four hours, but keep your portion sizes small. If you really can’t stomach food, and you’ve tried all the tips discussed above, try having a drink instead of a meal. Freshly squeezed juice, especially with some ginger in it, works like a charm for morning sickness. It will give you the glucose you need to keep your energy levels up and is nutritious and refreshing.

Continue with your pregnancy multivitamin, omega 3 supplements and additional folate supplements if you need them.

Exercise:

During pregnancy your body produces hormones to loosen ligaments to prepare your body for labour. This can sometimes cause ligament pain, and if you are an active exerciser, you need to be more careful of sprains and dislocations. Make sure that you are wearing sturdy shoes, thick exercise socks (preferably covering your ankles) and a good sports bra. You may also need to strap your knees or elbows if you are exercising intensively, especially if you have had previous injuries. It may also be a good idea to swap hiking through forests with unstable ground to hiking along beaches.

Although this is usually the hardest time of your pregnancy to exercise, don’t give up. Remind yourself of how important it is. I often tell clients that the most difficult part of exercise is getting out the door. If this sounds like you, tell yourself that you are just going to get to the gym/pool/beach/club/out the door, and then, if you still don’t feel like it you can turn around and come home. Nine times out of 10, once you are dressed and out the door, you’ll want to keep going. Other tricks include stopping to exercise on your way home, rather than trying to motivate yourself to go out again, and incorporating exercise into your day – for example, if the only way to get home is to walk, then walk you will. Get your partner to drop you off at work each morning so that you have to walk at least part of the way home.

Now, to help get you started, I’ve put together a 7 day pregnancy meal plan.  Registering for this will also give you access to my weekly coaching emails.  To download it now, all you have to do is click here.